Those defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, used cellular telephones to facilitate their drug trafficking activities, maintained a drug premises and some were felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Woods supplied heroin to Jackson for distribution in the Youngstown area while Rogers supplied Jackson with heroin and cocaine. Jackson, in turn, supplied drugs to Montero and the Hills. Jackson also supplied heroin to Clinkscale, Hunter, Leonard, Adams and the Hills, according to the indictment.

Trina Hill maintained a premises on Ravenwood Avenue in Youngstown, for the purposes of distributing and storing drugs. Rogers, Jackson, Montero and Trina Hill possessed firearms and U.S. currency as part of the conspiracy, according to the indictment.

Jackson, Montero, Rogers and Hunter are charged with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.

In a related case, seven people were charged in a 35-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. The conspiracy took place in 2015 and was focused on heroin distribution in Youngstown.

Jones and Brooks travelled to Michigan to obtain heroin and then, along with Liddell, sell it around Ravenna. This took place from as early as November 2015 through January 2016, according to the indictment.

“Today more than 20 people who bring heroin to our neighborhoods were taken off the street,” said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja. “Ohio has been devastated by heroin and opioids over the past few years. This is an example of law enforcement working together to lock up dangerous people supplying the drugs.”

“These individuals brought heroin, cocaine and violence to our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony. “This multi-agency, multi-state roundup is another example of the collaborative efforts engaged in by local and federal law enforcement agencies in an effort to rid our streets of drugs and the dangerous individuals that supply them.

“These charges and the arrest of 22 people in Youngstown and Ravenna demonstrate that the drug epidemic is as significant in Northeast Ohio as anywhere in the United States,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon. “Investigating and bringing to justice the individuals that are contributing to Ohio’s opioid epidemic, and its related violence and societal costs, is DEA’s and our partner’s top priority.”

Captain Larry Limbert of the Portage County Sheriff's Office/Portage County Drug Task Force said: “Without a cooperative effort between local and federal agencies we would not have been as successful in shutting down this large-scale narcotics organization.”

“ATF remains committed to removing violent offenders from our community,” said Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge for ATF 'a Columbus Field Division. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at all levels to make our citizens safer.”

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The joint investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, the Portage County Drug Task Force and the Youngstown Police Department, with the assistance of the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.